On Trial

Jun 25, 1989 — A thoroughgoing investigation of the terms “bravery” and “cowardice,” Stanley Kubrick’s early work offers far more than a mere “anti-war” statement, paring with almost surgical precision to the heart of the fear, hubris and mendacity that keep the war machine...

Nov 17, 1986 — The best of all the Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn comedies, Adam’s Rib is as fresh and topical today as it was in 1949 when it was first released. Written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin and directed by George Cukor, this...

Aug 29, 2018 — Philadelphia native Jeremiah Zagar’s first feature-length film, the documentary In a Dream (2008), premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and screened theatrically across the U.S. and in film festivals around the world. It was broadcast on HBO, shortlisted for an...

Violet Lucca is the author of David Cronenberg: Clinical Trials. She intermittently updates her newsletter, A Closer Lucca, and is working on her audacious return to podcasting.

Jul 18, 2025 — The week brings fresh writing on David Cronenberg, Stan Douglas, and Agnès Varda as well as a conversations between Jeff Wall and Pedro Costa.

Jun 29, 2022 — This month on the Channel brings a collection of boxing movies, a survey of film noir steeped in expressionistic color, and a tribute to the classic Hollywood director Henry King.

Mar 12, 2007 — Kon Ichikawa’s incendiary and extraordinarily brutal war film renders the emotional carnage that festers long after the battle’s end.

Aug 19, 2025 — This month’s programming celebrates the centenary of the great American filmmaker Robert Altman, the career of Oscar-winning actor Jodie Foster, and much more.

Feb 26, 2025 — This month brings deep dives into the work of Ken Loach and Radu Jude as well as new books on Isabelle Huppert, Holly Woodlawn, and more.